Like any country, the United Arab Emirates has had its share of criminals, accidents, natural disasters and downright weird incidents. Most of these events merit a few pages in the newspapers before disappearing from history. This book brings tragic, strange and illuminating stories from the 1970s back to life in a compilation of 168 of the best, drawn from past UAE newspapers – UAE News, Emirates News, Abu Dhabi News and the Gulf Weekly Mirror.

The common theme of these articles is their impact on the safety, security and stability of the UAE, and they cover a vast range of topics from smuggling deaths to murders, from assassinations to plane hijackings, and from mermaid hoaxes to UFO sightings. Together, they not only provide a fascinating glimpse into the past, but many of them also still resonate today.

Dr Athol Yates teaches at the Institute for International and Civil Security, Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, which offers a Masters Degree for Emirati security professionals. He teaches civil security, covering professional security practice, internal security and disaster management. His current research is on the security services of the UAE and former Trucial States, including the Dubai Police, Abu Dhabi Police, Abu Dhabi Defence Force, Ras Al Khaimah Mobile Force, Dubai Defence Force, Sharjah National Guard, Umm Al Quwain National Guard, Union Defence Force and the UAE Armed Forces.